This fantastic gif tells the story of how America came to be. Since the Constitution took effect on March 4, 1789 until the U.S. added the 50th state of Hawaii in 1959, a quick look at this gif shows us how a nation was formed.

If you want to see each slide as a stand-alone, that is available as well. One of the great things about this map is that it doesn't just show us where, it tells a story about how the United States of America came to be like it is today.